The present invention relates to a rotary connector for electrically connecting between a chassis of vehicle and a steering wheel. More particularly, the present invention relates to a rotary connector provided with a flat cable having a reversing segment.
A rotary connector such as that disclosed in the gazette of Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2523310 is constructed such that a case member is constituted by an inner case, an outer case and a guide ring. A flat cable is stored in the case member in such a way that a reversing segment is formed at the midway part in its winding direction and then the cable is used for attaining an electrical connection between the chassis and the steering wheel.
This rotary connector is the type in which an inner surface at the flange of the inner case is formed with an annular notch to which the ring main body of the guide ring is fitted and the guide ring main body is rotatably fitted to the annular notch. Then, the ring main body is rotated while its inner circumferential surface and outer circumferential surface are restricted by the inner circumferential surface and the outer circumferential surface of the annular notch.
In addition, a type of rotary connector that is provided with a display segment that indicates the rotating position of the rotor housing has been disclosed in the gazette of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Hei 271050. This rotary connector is constructed such that a storing case for storing the cable member is constituted by a fixing case fixed to a steering column and having an inner gear, and a rotor member rotated together with the steering wheel so as to attain an electrical connection between the chassis side and the steering wheel through the cable member.
The fixing case, a ring-like gear member and a cover member constitute the storing case. The fixing case is provided with either a second index or a third index at its upper surface and the like. The ring-like gear member is engaged with the inner gear of the fixing case and has a display window or the second index for displaying a rotating state of the rotor member. Above the ring-like gear member is provided a cover member supporting the ring-like gear member and having the sight window where the second and third indexes appear. Then, it is acknowledged whether or not the rotor is placed at the neutral position through the second index or the third index appeared at the sight window.
In addition, another type of rotary connector is disclosed in the gazette of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Sho 64-2653, and is operated such that the neutral position of the rotor member is held by a temporary fixing member comprised of a film-like tape before the connector is assembled to the chassis. Triangle marks for use in aligning the neutral position are adhered to the rotor and the fixing member in the temporary fixing member and it is fixed such that either the rotor member or the flat cable may not be rotated. In addition, to the upper surface of the rotor member in the rotary connector is adhered a caution note called as a caution label of one sheet of seal form for the installation.
However, the prior art rotary connector disclosed in the gazette of Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2523310 described above has some problems that its sliding resistance is high, and a sliding sound is generated due to the fact that the area of the cylindrical surface contact segment of the guide ring that contacts the cylindrical surface of either the inner case or the outer case is relatively wide.
Since the rotary connector disclosed in the aforesaid gazette of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Hei 2-71050 is provided with a gear mechanism, the number of component parts or the number of assembling steps is increased, its cost is increased and at the same time the entire rotary connector is increased in its size.
In addition, the aforesaid rotary connector disclosed in the gazette of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. Sho 642653 is constructed such that the temporary fixing member is merely adhered to the neutral position of the rotor, wherein it has a problem that as the rotor is already rotated, it can not be judged how many times the rotor is rotated from the neutral position to the right or left side.
The present invention has been invented in order to overcome the aforesaid problems and it has the following objects. Consequently, a first object of the present invention is to provide a rotary connector in which a sliding sound in the rotary connector is eliminated. A second object of the present invention is to provide a rotary connector in which its neutral position is displayed by a simple structure. A third object of the present invention is to provide a rotary connector capable of applying display of its neutral position and the caution label.
The present invention has been invented in order to solve the aforesaid prior art problems. It is an object of the invention to provide a rotary housing including stator housings installed at a chassis side of a vehicle; a case arranged at the stator housings; a rotor rotatably mounted at the stator housings and connected to a steering wheel; a floating member rotatably engaged with an outer circumferential part of the rotor and rotatably arranged above bottom surfaces of the stator housings; and a wound flat cable of which one and is fixed to the rotor, the other end of which is fixed to the case and intermediate part of which is passed through reversing parts formed in the floating member and reversed.
The floating member can have a plurality of protruded engaging pieces formed inwardly at an upper end of an inner wall surface, and the engaging pieces rotatably engaged with the rotor.
The rotor can be formed at an upper side outer circumferential end with a first step to which an inner edge of a hole formed in the case is fitted and the lower part of the first step is formed with a second step to which the engaging piece of the floating member is rotatably engaged.
The rotor can have an axial insertion segment passing through a steering shaft formed at the axial center side, a cord insertion segment having a harness passing along the axial center side line formed at the inner wall of the axial insertion segment, and at its lower surface a terminal installing part for installing a movable side terminal fixed to one end of the flat cable. The movable side terminal is then connected to one end of the harness having a connector. The harness has the other end passed through the cord insertion segment and has a wire arranged at an upper surface of the rotor, and a lateral lid is installed the axial center side of said cord insertion segment.
The floating member may have a smooth sheet for reducing sliding resistance, or emboss at the inner wall surface where said rotor is inserted.
The case can include a side plate having a claw to which an engaging hole of an engaging piece formed at the stator housing is engaged. An upper plate is arranged above the floating member so as to cover the floating member.
The stator housing may be integrally formed with a base of a combination switch.
In such a case, the base may be made such that the upper surface of the base may also act as the bottom surface of the stator housing of the rotary connector, and an engaging piece having an engaging hole to which a claw of a side plate of the case is engaged is integrally formed around the bottom surface of the base.
Further, in such a case the base may be made such that an enclosure to which the lower end of the case is fitted is integrally formed around the bottom surface.
Further, such a case may be made such that terminal installing segments installing fixed side terminals having one end of the flat cables fixed thereto are formed at a circumferential part of the case. The fixed side terminals are made such that the terminals are insert molded, lower locations are fitted to insertion holes punched at the stator housing, and the terminals are arranged in the connector formed at the base.
The rotor may be formed with terminal installing segments installing movable side terminals having one end of the flats cables fixed thereto. The movable side terminals are made such that the terminal is insert molded and the terminal is arranged in the connector segment formed in the rotor.
In this case, the rotor forms each of terminal installing segments installing each of movable side terminals having one end of a plurality of flat cables fixed thereto. The movable side terminals are made such that each of the flat cables is guided out into a winding space arranged between the rotor and the floating member at an outer circumferential segment of the rotor through equal space. The floating member is provided with reversing segments only by the number of flat cables and at the same time the reversing segments are equally spaced apart.
The rotor forms cancel pins can be abutted against a cancel cam of a turn signal switch so as to cause an operating lever to be automatically moved.
The stator housing can be integrally formed with a protruded ear having a through-pass hole where a screw is inserted and passes at its circumferential segment. The base of the combination switch is formed with a threaded hole having the screw threadably engaged with it, and the stator housing is threadably stopped.
The stator housing can be integrally formed with an engaging piece engaged with an engaging segment formed at the base of the combination switch and is fixed to the base with the engaging piece.
The case and the rotor can be set such that the case and the rotor are temporarily set with a caution label separator when the rotor is placed at a neutral position. The caution label separator has a first caution label adhered to the upper plate of the case and a second caution label adhered to the upper surface of the rotor.
In this case, the first and second caution labels have descriptions about the fixing of the rotary connector. The caution label separator is a transparent member or an opaque member adhered to the surfaces of the first and second caution labels, and the separator is peeled off when the rotary connector is assembled to a chassis to cause the rotor to be rotatable.
The floating member and rotor can have a first mark and a second mark oppositely faced to each other when the rotary connector is placed at a neutral position. The case is formed by a non-transparent member and a first mark of the floating member that is arranged below the case forms a display window visually acknowledged.
This type of case has the display window formed with a through-pass hole. the display window forms a protrusion and a supporting segment at an edge of the through-pass hole and at the same time the transparent member is held by the protrusion and the supporting segment.
Further, this type of case can adhere to the first caution label at the surface of the upper plate. The first caution label has the display hole formed in compliance with the display window, and the display hole is arranged in compliance with the circumference of the transparent member.
The floating member and rotor can have the first mark and the second mark oppositely faced to each other when the rotary connector is in a neural position. The case is comprised of a transparent member where the first mark of the floating member is arranged below the case can be visually acknowledged.